Guest post by Turinawe Samson, Director of Universal Love Alliance (ULA) in Uganda.
Friends, looking at 2018 we at Universal Love Alliance (ULA) moved a step forward and you are ones who enabled us to take this step. We received financial support from the U.S. Embassy–Kampala, Spirit in Action, the ULA Foundation and its Board members.
I attribute your generosity to your love for justice, equality, inclusion, respect, and acceptance of all people.
Human beings are inwardly alike. Each of us aspires to joy, happiness and freedom, to knowledge and light. And we all experience suffering in the same way. When we see this, we begin to realize that it is only on the outside that we are different.
We realize that we are wearing different masks, like the members of a theatre company on stage. But in real life we are great friends. Human beings are all actors in a comedy — or a tragedy — but in real life we are all human beings.
No matter where you are, where you come from, you skin colour, gay or heterosexual, refugees or citizens of a particular nation, poor or rich, religious or non-religious, we deserve the best on this planet simply because we are born free and equal!
ULA members, friends, and supporters are committed to this fact. What keeps people as human is the ability to keep dreaming about things and then to take certain actions to make each dream a reality.
Human beings don’t surrender to hardships, just like soldiers in a cold night don’t surrender because of the values they defend. Friends, in 2019 let’s continue to defend values we believe in and stand for.
Samson (center) pictured with attendees at the recent workshop with faith leaders to discuss LGBTI inclusion.
Love is woven tight with justice. Love is more than tender words, a good feeling, a satisfied mind, and thinking that all is good. Love rests in action, what we do, how we witness the seamlessness of our lives, one with the other. Genuine peace and harmony in the world can never be obtained merely by changing things externally. It requires the mentality of human beings to be changed. The revolution must take place in people’s minds.
Let us continue standing together, to prevent our submission to perpetrators of discrimination, stigma, violence, hate, and division that their power depends on. Let’s make the world a better place for the present generation and coming generations. We are writing this chapter together.
I wish your 2019 to be a wonderful year, one of good health, abundance, prosperity, joy, and happiness.
Yours in service,
Turinawe Samson
Universal Love Alliance (ULA)